Community Word: Eternal life is for those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ.
Theme: We trust and believe in Jesus Christ when we are good stewards of God’s gifts.
Promise: “Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.” (Ps 128:1-2)
Reflection:
The parable of the talents teaches us to live in a responsible and faithful manner right now, because we have to give a personal account to the Lord at the end of our time here on earth. We each have been given and entrusted with different gifts, talents, intellectual and physical strengths and skills.
We each encounter different social opportunities and advantages. Like the servants in the gospel, whatever talents the Lord we has given us, large or small, these are not only for ourselves but should serve as vehicles of Christ’s grace to others. The talents we have are God’s gifts. The good and faithful disciples are those who act in imitation of God and are consistent in their inner commitment as trusted servants. Our tasks and responsibilities multiply as we enter into the joy and abundance of the reign of God with full confidence in God’s generosity and provision. When we use our gifts in the service of the Lord, they become blessings that prepare us for the reward of eternal life. As expressed in the community word for this month: Eternal life is for those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ.
How reassuring it is for the servant who returns to the master, saying: “You have given me five talents and I have made five more.” This is what God wants to hear from us. This is what He believes we can achieve. Let us be motivated, not fearful of the God who expects fruitfulness from us. It is a call to excellence, an invitation to improvement. Let’s stop wasting our talents. What is important is the way we use what God has given us. Guided by the theme of the week – We trust and believe in Jesus Christ when we are good stewards of God’s gifts, let us be watchful and act as responsible and accountable stewards. To be watchful should not be a passive waiting, but an active growing in our love relationship with Him and in our committed service to God’s people.
He challenges us, while waiting for His return, to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel and not waste our time by engaging in abusive, careless or unloving practices. It is our personal responsibility as good stewards of His gifts to use them for His glory. Rather than serve our personal interests, we are to help one another, and to honor God in everything we do. We have the responsibility to work diligently and with integrity because we are representing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us serve conscientiously, secure in the knowledge that we are pleasing God. As we serve the Lord with enthusiasm, then we will hear the Master say: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master,” (Mt 25:23)
We need to challenge ourselves. The worst thing we can do is to become smug, self-satisfied, assuming we have already accomplished what we had set out to do, and stop trying to improve ourselves. Growing and using our talents is a way to increase the ‘talents’ he has entrusted to us, and to give thanks for the immeasurable ways He blesses us each day of our life. And so, we strive to excel at whatever we do, that God may be glorified in our gifts and talents. Our service to God shows our thankfulness and obedience to Him. It is the will of God that His children live productive, meaningful lives. If we refuse to carry out the works God has called us to do, then we are rebelling against God.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away,” (Mt 25:29). In practical terms, this means the talents we have been given will inevitably be lost if we do not use, or exercise them. The only way to nurture our gifts is to use it in the service of God, our neighbors, and of course, ourselves. Each of us has a mission, everyone has a unique task, a person can always make a difference. Those who have no confidence in themselves, or hide their talents (in effect burying them) will end up losing “even what they have”, while those who developed their gifts will be “given more”. Let us not fall into the trap of equating talent with wealth, or personal possessions. Everything in our life is a ‘talent’, a gift from God – the people around us, our circumstances, our opportunities and trials – all these are ‘talents’ which we can nurture and expand so we can return them to God with interest. God’s will is that we see them as gifts to be shared so that they can be multiplied.
The talent of the virtuous wife in the Book of Proverbs in the first reading conveys her skill in raising a family, caring for a spouse, managing a home, all of which are the characteristic of an honorable wife, who brings her husband good, devotes herself untiringly to her family, is diligent in running her household and, most of all, who fears the Lord and follows His commands. Indeed raising a family and making a home for the family is a precious talent whose fruit are children who grow into responsible and accountable adults.
St. Paul in the second reading says, “For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness” (1Thes: 5:5). He emphasizes that disciples who are alert and who act appropriately, will not be caught unprepared on the Day of the Lord. Let us hold on to the promise for this week, as we await the favor of eternal life: “Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways, for you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork, blessed shall you be, and favored.” (Ps 128:1-2).
Prayer
Our generous Lord, thank you for the gifts and talents you have given us, that equip us for life. Like the servants entrusted with talents in tonight’s parable, each one of us have been given gifts in proportion to our abilities, that we may go off promptly and make something of our opportunities. When the time for accounting comes, may we confidently come forward to your throne of grace to show you what we have accomplished, through your most beloved Son and by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1.What have we done with our talents?
2.In what ways are we using our talents and resources for the service of God in our community, and for others?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
November 16, 2014 (Sun) Prov 31:10-13,19-20,30-31/Ps 128:1-5/Thes 5:1-6/Mt 25:14-33
November 17, 2014 (Mon) Rv 1:1-4;2:1-5/Ps 1:1-2,3,4,6/Lk 18:35-43
November 18, 2014 (Tues) Rv 3:1-6,14-22/Ps 15:2-3,3,3-4,5/Lk 19:1-10
November 19, 2014 (Wed) Rv 4:1-11/Ps 150:1-2,3-4,5-6/Lk 19:11-28
November 20, 2014 (Thurs) Rv 5:1-10/Ps 149:1-2,3-4,5-6,9/Lk 19:41-44
November 21, 2014 (Fri) Rv 10:8-11/Ps 119:14,24,72,103,111,131/Lk 19:45-48
November 22, 2014 (Sat) Rv 11:4-12/Ps 144:1,2,9-10/Lk 20:27-40
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